Browsing by Author "Dee, Thomas S."

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    The Effects of Educational Supports for the "Missing One-Offs" in Vocational High Schools
    Dee, Thomas S.; Perez-Nunez, Graciela (Annenberg Institute at Brown University, 2020-07-01)
    A growing body of evidence suggests that vocationally focused programs of study substantially improve high-school completion and longer-run economic success. However, the corresponding recommendations to expand vocational programs may have unintended, negative consequences for low-income, academically successful students (i.e., the “missing one offs”) who have the capacity and motivation to attend highly selective universities. This study contributes to our understanding of these issues by examining an innovative, college-preparatory program targeted to academically successful Chilean students attending vocational high schools serving lower-income communities. This program (Escuela Desarrollo de Talentos or EDT) provides academic and social-emotional supports aligned with admission to selective universities. The authors examine the educational effects of EDT participation using a fuzzy regression-discontinuity design based on its eligibility rules. The authors find that the EDT program did not increase the probability of graduating from high school but did increase performance in math courses. They also find corresponding evidence suggesting that EDT participation increased math performance on college entrance exams and shifted students away from further postsecondary vocational training and towards matriculation at elite universities.
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    My Brother’s Keeper? The Impact of Targeted Educational Supports
    Dee, Thomas S.; Penner, Emily (Annenberg Institute at Brown University, 2019-10-01)
    The My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Challenge developed by President Obama supports communities that promote civic initiatives designed to improve the educational and economic opportunities specifically for young men of color. In Oakland, California, the MBK educational initiative features the African American Male Achievement (AAMA) program. The AAMA focuses on regularly scheduled classes exclusively for Black, male students and taught by Black, male teachers who focus on social-emotional training, African-American history, culturally relevant pedagogy, and academic supports. In this study, the authors present quasi-experimental evidence on the dropout effects of the AAMA by leveraging its staggered scale-up across high schools in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). They find that AAMA availability led to a significant reduction in the number of Black males who dropped out as well as smaller reductions among Black females, particularly in 9th grade.